Managing Embeddings

Use the embedding API in LanceDB — registry, functions, schemas, and multi-language SDK support.

Modern machine learning models can be trained to convert raw data into embeddings, which are vectors of floating point numbers. The position of an embedding in vector space captures the semantics of the data, so vectors that are close to each other are considered similar.

LanceDB provides an embedding function registry in OSS as well as its Enterprise versions (see below) that automatically generates vector embeddings during data ingestion. Automatic query-time embedding generation is available in LanceDB OSS, with SDK-specific query ergonomics. The API abstracts embedding generation, allowing you to focus on your application logic.

Embedding Registry

You can get a supported embedding function from the registry, and then use it in your table schema. Once configured, the embedding function will automatically generate embeddings when you insert data into the table. Query-time behavior depends on SDK: Python/TypeScript can query with text directly, while Rust examples typically compute query embeddings explicitly before vector search.

Using an embedding function

Create an embedding function before you attach it to table or schema metadata. Python and TypeScript fetch provider implementations from the embedding registry, while Rust constructs the provider embedding function directly and registers it on the connection before using it in an EmbeddingDefinition.

Provider configuration is SDK-specific, so copy the option names from the provider page for the SDK you use. For example, the OpenAI model is selected with name in Python, model in TypeScript, and the model argument to OpenAIEmbeddingFunction::new_with_model in Rust.

Concept	Python	TypeScript	Rust
Model	name="text-embedding-3-small"	{ model: "text-embedding-3-small" }	new_with_model(api_key, "text-embedding-3-small")
Retry count	max_retries=7	Provider/client-specific	Provider/client-specific
API key	api_key="...", environment variables, or $var:	apiKey: "...", environment variables, or $var:	Constructor argument or environment variable
Device	Provider-specific, for example device="cuda"	Provider-specific	Provider-specific

For reusable runtime configuration, the registry also supports $var: placeholders in embedding-function config. This is useful for provider secrets and environment-specific settings in Python and TypeScript.

• Python uses registry.set_var(...).
• TypeScript uses registry.setVar(...).
• You can provide a fallback with $var:name:default.
• Sensitive values such as API keys should be passed through registry variables instead of hardcoding them in config.

For non-sensitive settings such as inference device selection, you can also use a default fallback:

Find the full list of arguments for each provider in the integrations section.

Multiple embedding columns

A single table can include more than one embedding definition when you want to store multiple semantic views of the same data, or generate embeddings from different source columns. In practice, each embedding definition maps one source column to one vector column, and the table schema can contain multiple such pairs.

The exact setup differs by SDK, but the underlying pattern is the same: define a distinct source/vector pair for each embedding function you want applied during ingest.

Embedding model providers

LanceDB supports most popular embedding providers.

Text embeddings

Provider	Model ID	Default Model
OpenAI	openai	text-embedding-ada-002
Sentence Transformers	sentence-transformers	all-MiniLM-L6-v2
Hugging Face	huggingface	colbert-ir/colbertv2.0
Cohere	cohere	embed-english-v3.0
…	…	…

Multimodal embedding

Provider	Model ID	Supported Inputs
OpenCLIP	open-clip	Text, Images
ImageBind	imagebind	Text, Images, Audio, Video
…	…	…

You can find all supported embedding models in the integrations section.

Embeddings in LanceDB Enterprise

Enterprise

In LanceDB Enterprise, embedding generation during data ingestion is client-side and the resulting vectors are stored on the remote table.

The Enterprise server does not currently generate embeddings from query text on its own. Any automatic query-time embedding happens on the client side.

How string queries are interpreted

For the Python remote client, table.search("hello") can take two different paths:

• If the selected vector column has embedding metadata (i.e., the table schema stores the source-column, vector-column, and embedding-function mapping created from fields like SourceField() and VectorField() during table creation), then the embeddings are computed in the Python client process. The client uses the same local LanceDB embedding registry used by OSS tables to reconstruct the embedding function from schema metadata, compute the query vector in the client process, and send that vector to Enterprise for search.
  result = table.search("hello").limit(1).to_list()
  # The Python client computes the query embedding locally, then sends a vector search.
  
• If the table does not have embedding metadata for that search, table.search("hello") in auto mode is treated as an FTS query instead.
  result = table.search("hello").limit(5).to_list()
  # In auto mode this is treated as an FTS query, not a vector query.
  

If you want explicit vector or hybrid behavior and the client cannot resolve an embedding function from the table metadata, generate the query embedding yourself and pass the vector directly.

The manual query-embedding flow below works across Enterprise SDKs and is an explicit path you can use when you want full control over query-time behavior.

Custom Embedding Functions

You can always implement your own embedding function:

• Python/TypeScript: subclass TextEmbeddingFunction (text) or EmbeddingFunction (multimodal).
• Rust: implement the EmbeddingFunction trait.